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Kelly in Winter Springs
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Winter Springs FF PM wrote: So the city screwd up and did not pay attention to funding things properly. If you look deep enough into the issues and this is not an excuse but is an explanation from the inside. The budget became a problem when yes amendment one came about but even when this was happening Our Fire Chief Tim Lallathin was dying and then passed. At this point the next in command of our department is a man whom was also going through a partial stroke and was having medical problems of his own. The budget that was proposed as being what was needed for 2008 did not include the new truck the salarys being fixed( by the way we have not had a pay increase in over 3 years thank you) or taking into account that the previous years budget didnt account for schooling that was needed to continue our education within the department. Ron Mac No More needs to be held accountable for the tight fisting he has caused on the fire department makeing this problem which has been around for almost 5 years a now huge total dollar busting problem.
Brown and Krebs have scene the ways to fix the problem and yes the budget cuts would help but are not going to be enough. Its really not guys, For the Fire Department to contiue to function and not cause an even bigger tax increase to the citizens( say if consolidation were to occur to Seminole county fire rescue) the citizens need to show a little restraint and come off the wallet just a bit, Cut down 1 million from the budget yes maybe 2 million possible not probable, have the citizens pay $50 bucks a year maybe a $100 bucks a year, i dont see that amount of money breaking anybodys banks, espically when i stand out front after these commission meetings and see the loudest voices get into a new model lexus, land rover, expedition, bmw, lincoln town car and the one guy who said he cant handle the extra cost when he is already living below hismeans get into the gas guzzleing 4 x4 big lifted 4 door truck with oversized tires. No one here is against the fire department, and we are thankful for what you do. You are right,$50 a year will not break anyone's bank. They are not asking for $50 a year. They are asking me to pay over $200 a year for my 880 sq ft apartment. Meanwhile, they continue approving every expenditure they come across. I would love to see them cut the pork out of the budget, and then bring up this fire fee. Right now, it looks like they are trying to get around the plea for help that so many people made in passing amendment 1. Show me that you really need the money, and I won't complain. Right now, I don't see that. And that is my problem with the whole issue.
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John
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WS FD,
You're looking at this from the side of an employee who has a vested interest in keeping the budget as it is or even increasing it. It is a sad fact that the FD has not had an increase in salary in the past few years; many taxpayers are in the same boat. To ask us to open the wallets a little more is not fair to the residents of WS. The city had a windfall when the real estate boom hit 5 years ago. They didn't put away any of that money for "hard times". They increased the PD, the FD, and other areas of the WS government. They spent too much on the big strip mall (WS Town Center). They spent money on planting trees along 434. They increased speed traps on 434 and in Tuscawilla (though that didn't seem possible). Guess what, "hard times" are here, not only for the WS govt., but for its residents.
Several courses of action are necessary. First, the feasibility of having Seminole County assume police, fire, and emergency services should be studied. They spent a lot of money trying to defend fire fees. That could have been better spent in how to live within a budget. Second, they should reduce staffing levels in all departments back to 2004 levels while at the same time reducing the budget to 2004 level, plus "cost of living" increases based upon the CPI. Then, they should commit to living within their budget just like taxpayers are forced to do when "hard times" arrive.
We already pay fees in Tuscawilla for lighting, trash collection, wayer, and sewer; now we have fire fees. Next it will be PD fees. The nonsense has to be stopped. Just what are we receiving for our tax dollars if everything seems to be covered by fees. We now have a fire fee for this year only. Hopefully, the citizens of WS will vote out one Commissioner in November who voted for the fees and we can restore sanity to WS.
As for Amendment 1, the voters must be heard. We voted relief from local assessments; the WS govt is looking for a way around compliance. That is not the best interests of the taxpayer. I'm happy to see that the free events in WS will be stopped. I'm tired of paying for the rest of Seminole County to be entertained.
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John
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WS FD,
I empathised with most of your post and agreed that the FD is doing the best they can with the resources that are provided by WS. But, to complain that taxpayers are driving nice cars or 4X4's or SUv's is kind of sad. We don't want WS to determine their budget by how successful the taxpayers have been in their private lives. We want the city to follow our example and manage their budgets so the necessities can be provided.
If WS does not pay its firefighters a high enough salary, they are free to seek employment elsewhere. Why did they come to WS in the first place? I assume the salary was sufficient when they accepted employment. You mention retirement. It may be of interest to you that many of those taxpayers don't receive a pension at the end of their careers. Governments are one of the last holdouts on paying this type of benefit and keep in mind that you expect the taxpayers to fund your retirement.
We're not trying to deprive you of a way of life. It is only being suggested that there may be a better employer, such as Seminole County, which by the way is employed by WS taxpayers, among others.
As for the little firetruck in back of city hall, does it still work? Is it the reason that two homes have been destroyed in my area of Tuscawilla in the last two years despite the presence of the WS FD? Insufficient equipment is a prime reason for having Seminole County take over this responsibility. Another is that the administrative costs and department heads would be eliminated; probably at a cost savings.
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FF EMT
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Maybe if people actually READ what they were voting on...there wouldn't be a Fire Fee, hmmmm... If you don't know what you're voting on, DON'T VOTE!!!
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